Latch



March 15, 1966 l. s. HouvENr-:R 3,240,522

LATCH Filed Nov. '7, 1963 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR. /fv' y. H0 venerQ/VT MMR/WY March 15, 1966 Filed NOV. '7, 1963 I. S. HOUVENER LATCH 2Sheets-Sheet 2 Tit",

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HTTORNE f United States Patent O 3,240,522 LATCH Irving S. Houvener,Midland, Mich., assignor to The Dow Chemical Company, Midland, Mich., acorporation of Delaware Filed Nov. 7, 1963, Ser. No. 322,127 4 Claims.(Cl. 292-111) This invention relates to a latch. It more particularlyrelates to an improved manually operable concealable latch.

In many instances it is desirable to have available a latch by whichvarious panels may be secured together in a rigid manner and yet bequickly and readily disconnected without the use of tools. Such latchesare particularly desirable for shipping containers, demountableshelters, component parts on motor truck bodies, railway cars, and thelike.

Advantageously such latches should not be readily subject to accidentalopening such as by engagement with a passing object or readily opened bymeans of vibration.

It is an object of this invention to provide an improved latch assemblywhich is manually operated.

A further object of this invention is to provide an improved manuallyoperated latch assembly which is capable of providing a large mechanicaladvantage in closing the latch mechanism.

A further object of the present invention is to provide an improvedlatch mechanism which is not susceptible to accidental opening.

These benefits and other advantages in accordance with the presentinvention are readily achieved by a latch assembly comprising a strike,a pivot so constructed and arranged as to be mounted on one of themembers to be joined an operating handle rotatably mounted on saidpivot, a cam rigidly afHXed to said operating handle, a latch memberpivotally mounted upon said cam and adapted to engage said strike.

Further features and advantages of the invention will become moreapparent from the following specication when taken in connection withthe drawing wherein:

In FIGURE l there is illustrated a fastener in accordance with thepresent invention in the closed position;

FIGURE 2 illustrates the fastener of FIGURE l in the open position;

FIGURE 3 is a view of the fastener of FIGURE 1 along the line 3 3.

In FIGURES l, 2 and 3 there are illustrated various views of a latchassembly in accordance with the present invention. The latch assembly 10comprises a housing 11, having a generally rectangular conguration.Within the housing 11 is disposed a pivot 13. An operating handle 14 isrotatably mounted on the pivot 13. A grip 16 is pivotally attached tothe operating handle 14 by means of the pivot 17 remotely disposed fromthe pivot 13. Within the grip 16 is an opening 19. Rigidly affixed tothe operating handle 14 is a cam 21. A latch or hook 24 is pivotallysupported on the cam 21. The latch 24 is provided with a strike engagingmeans 26 and stop er1- gaging means 27 and 28. A stop 30 is disposedgenerally adjacent the stop engaging means 27 and 28 of the latch 24. Astrike 31 is disposed generally adjacent the strike engaging portion 26of the latch 24. The strike 31 comprises a latch engaging portion 32 anda mounting portion 33.

In operation of the embodiment of the invention illustrated in FIGURESl, 2 and 3 the cam 21 on the operating handle 14 is disposed in such amanner that the latch 25 is drawn away from the mounting portion or base33 of the strike 31 when the handle 14 is positioned adjacent the latch24. The stop means 27 and 28 limit the rota- 3,240,522 Patented Mar. l5,1966 `tional motion of the latch 24 in such a manner that effectiverotation beyond the fully open and fully closed positions is prevented.Thus the latch 24 is unable to inconveniently rotate to a position wherea portion 26 of it is outside of the desired position. The operatinghandle 14 and the grip 16 conveniently are fully enclosed when the latch10 is installed in a recess and is in the closed position. The grip 16provides a ready access and means of applying an opening force to theoperating handle 14 when the latch is in the fully closed position. Thegrip 16 is readily positioned by means of a relatively small amount offorce into a position where it may be firmly gripped to actuate thelatch assembly. Beneficially latches in accordance with the inventionare installed in a recess within the panels or structural members asdepicted in FIGURES 1 and 2. In such positions beneficially the grip 16may be maintained within the recess by the simple expedient of closingthe access to the recess by means of tape or alternately the pivot 16may provide sufficient friction that accidental emerge-nce of the grip16 from the recess is prevented.

As is apparent from the foregoing specification the method and apparatusof the present invention is susceptible of being embodied with variousalterations and modications which may differ particularly from thosethat have been described in the preceding specification and description.For .this reason, it is to be fully understood that all of the foregoingis intended to be merely illustrative and is not to be construed orinterpreted as being restrictive or otherwise limiting of the presentinvention, excepting as it is set forth and defined in the heretoappended claims.

I claim:

1. A latch for joining two members, the latch adapted to engage astrike, the strike comprising a projecting member adapted to be engagedby a latching member, the latch comprises a housing comprising agenerally narrow enclosure having at least two open sides, one of theopen sides being an access means for the strike, the housing havingmounted therein a pivot, a cam rotatably mounted on the pivot, anoperating handle mounted to the cam, the cam so constructed and arrangedthat the operating surface of the cam is remote from the strike accessmeans when the operating handle is positioned within the housing througha remaining open side, a latching member rotatably mounted upon the camand having stop means so constructed and arranged so as to preventrotation of the latching means beyond a full opened and full closedposition, the latching member defining a strike engaging member having ahook-like configuration adapted to engage the strike, the operatinghandle and the latching member being generally planar elements.

2. A concealable latch adapted to cooperate with a strike adapted to befastened to one of two members to be joined, the latch comprising ahousing, said housing adapted to be mounted in the other member to bejoined, said housing defining a cavity, a pivot mounted to the housingwithin said cavity, a cam pivotally mounted on said pivot and anoperating handle rigidly afxed to the cam and so constructed andarranged that the operating surface of the cam is disposed remotely fromthe strike when the strike is in the engaged position, a latch memberrotatably mounted on said cam, said latch member adapted to engage saidstrike and exert tension thereon and the latch being so constructed andarranged that when the operating handle is positioned in the closedposition the operating handle, pivot, cam and latch member are containedentirely within the housing.

3. A latch for joining two members, the latch adapted to cooperate witha strike adapted to be mounted on one of the members to be joined, thelatch comprising a housing adapted to be mounted Within the other membert0 be joined, the housing defining access means for the strike, thehousing having mounted therein a pivot, a cam rotatably mounted on thepivot, an operating handle mounted rigidly to the cam, the cam soconstructed and arranged that the operating surface of the cam is remotefrom the strike access means when the operating handle is positionedWithin the housing, the housing defining an access means for the handle,a latching member rotatably mounted upon the cam, the latching memberdefining a strike engaging member, and having a hook-like configuration,the hook-like configuration being positioned so that the open side ofthe hook is disposed remote from the handle access means, the latchingmember defining at least two stop engaging means, a stop disposedadjacent the stop engaging means and aixed to the housing, the stop andstop engaging means being so constructed and arranged so as to preventrotation of the latching member beyond fully opened and fully closedpositions, the latch being so constructed and arranged so that when thelatch is in the closed position the latching member, cam and CIIReferences Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 224,066 2/1880Armstrong 16-126 2,222,293 11/ 1940 Hagstrom 292-113 2,378,654 12/1943Pekny 292-111 2,600,483 6/1952 Colonna 292-173 2,714,751 8/1955 Stuartet al 292-109 2,896,989 7/1959 Ehret 292-111 FOREIGN PATENTS 441,8521/1936 Great Britain.

JOSEPH D. SEERS, Primary Examiner.

M. HENSON WOOD, JR., DONLEY J. STOCKING,

Examiners.

1. A LATCH FOR JOINING TWO MEMBERS, THE LATCH ADAPTED TO ENGAGE ASTRIKE, THE STRIKE COMPRISING A PROJECTING MEMBER ADAPTED TO BE ENGAGEDBY A LATCHING MEMBER, THE LATCH COMPRISES A HOUSING COMPRISING AGENERALLY NARROW ENCLOSURE HAVING AT LEAST TWO OPEN SIDES, ONE OF THEOPEN SIDES BEING AN ACCESS MEANS FOR THE STRIKE, THE HOUSING HAVINGMOUNTED THEREIN A PIVOT, A CAM ROTATABLY MOUNTED ON THE PIVOT, ANOPERATING HANGLE MOUNTED TO THE CAM, THE CAM SO CONSTRUCTED AND ARRANGEDTHAT THE OPERATING SURFACE OF THE CAM IS REMOTE FROM THE STRIKE ACCESSMEANS WHEN THE OPERATING HANDLE IS POSITIONED WITHIN THE HOUSING THROUGHA REMAINING OPEN SIDE, A LATCHING MEMBER ROTATABLY MOUNTED UPON THE CAMAND HAVING STOP MEANS SO CONSTRUCTED AND ARRANGED SO AS TO PREVENTROTATION OF THE LATCHING MEANS BEYOND A FULL OPENED AND FULL CLOSEDPOSITION, THE LATCHING MEMBER DEFINING A STRIKE ENGAGING MEMBER HAVING AHOOK-LIKE CONFIGURATION ADAPTED TO ENGAGE THE STRIKE, THE OPERATINGHANDLE AND THE LATCHING MEMBER BEING GENERALLY PLANAR ELEMENTS.